


fly me back (into your embrace)

by luneist



Series: steward!au [1]
Category: I.O.I (Band), NCT (Band), PRISTIN (Band), Stray Kids (Band), Wanna One (Band), Weki Meki (Band)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Dates, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Break Up, all the stewards and stewardesses are good friends, ceo!changbin, minho is felix's older brother, steward!au, steward!felix, stewardess!au, they have all graduated from college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-02-23 12:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13189878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luneist/pseuds/luneist
Summary: felix meets changbin on his job, and he's going crazy slowly.





	1. stop being so sick (go talk to a doctor)

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my steward/stewardess!au :) i have been watching a lot of busycabincrew's videos lately, and i decided to write this. you can always leave down suggestions in the comments, and i will definitely take a look! spill any ideas out and i will try my best to write it. enjoy! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> changbin is met with felix and bad luck.   
> but felix thinks it's fun.

"good morning, welcome to sorea airlines! do you need help finding your seat, or perhaps with your luggage?" 

those words have rolled off felix's tongue more than a hundred times, and he's starting to detest it, although he's out here living his dream - being a steward. the australian steward still puts on a bright smile whenever the passengers roll in, a whole mess of bags and luggages. it's his seventy-third flight, and he thinks he's one of the more experienced ones, with daehwi being at the top. the other english-speaking steward had been on more than a hundred of flights, and felix, without doubt, admires his working attitude. 

 _sorea airlines._ felix hates those words, since it's hard for a foreigner like him to pronounce  _sorea._

_it's just one letter different from 'korea', why fix it when it isn't broken?_

felix chooses to ignore the fact that chenle, ten, somi and kyulkyung come from different parts of the world, just like him, and he was no special. the four of them have the perfect pronunciation, and the word  _sorea_ comes out of their mouths very smoothly. kyulkyung had explained it took her a pretty long time to get the word right, and the other 3 were there to attest. 

"hi, i need help with my luggage."

a passenger around felix's height speaks up, and felix throws away his little tantrum and helps the passenger put his luggage in the overhead cabin. he returns to the kitchen afterwards, leaning against the graphite counter. daehwi was checking out the passengers' menu and having a small inspection on the food.  _of course. daehwi's the most hardworking person out of us._ somi and doyeon are helping daehwi out, while kyulkyung is chatting with ten and chenle. the australian steward decides to join the group of non-koreans, but he keeps his mouth shut as kyulkyung talks about a passenger.

"there's this passenger at 68G, he's a vip cardholder. we need someone to go over and greet him and ask him if he needs any help." kyulkyung informs them, eyes scanning through the list. "i heard that he's a really patient and kind passenger, and is a loyal customer of sorea airlines." 

the small tantrum is brought back when kyulkyung mentions  _sorea airlines_ , and felix is boring his eyes into the chinese stewardess' as he thinks of the same things again. he doesn't end the fight until kyulkyung taps on his shoulder twice, calling out his name loudly, but not too loud so that the passengers couldn't hear past the curtains. "uh, sorry. was thinking of something. yeah?" 

kyulkyung was actually asking felix to go greet the vip cardholder passenger, but felix didn't respond when kyulkyung asked him. ten had cleaning duty and chenle had food duty, and kyulkyung was in charge of drinks. he agrees anyways, it's not like he never greeted vip cardholder passengers. some of them may be a real pain in the ass, but felix still gives his brightest, friendliest smile at them. 

_i heard so many good things about 68G, he should be a nice passenger. right?_

.

felix regrets agreeing to kyulkyung's request after 7 minutes.

when he reaches seat 68G, he's met with a man dressed in a black and white suit. there's no one else near him, and the only other passengers are about 2 rows ahead of him. it's the first class cabin after all, it isn't something that everyone could afford. 

"good morning sir. my name is felix, and i will be the steward attending to you today. is there any services you would like request?"

felix has the brightest smile on, and he honestly thinks it's a bit forced. he lessens it down, with intentions of not scaring the passenger at 68G. his smile disappears instead of being less bright when he's met with the passenger's familiar face. at that damn moment, felix wants to drown that passenger in all the sorrow he had been in.

_seo changbin._

the ex-boyfriend of felix from college, who had broke up with him because he found felix's cats annoying and that felix spent more time with those  _hairy stupid animals_ instead of being with him. the australian steward was an immense period of sorrow, depression and anxiety. he felt unsafe without changbin being all protective over him, and felt so lonely when he woke up to cuddling his pillow, thinking it was changbin. 

_i don't feel unsafe or lonely now._

it had been years since he stepped out of college and attained freedom, which ten had scolded him for saying so, since the thai steward was dead serious in his studies. throughout those years, he had totally forgotten about changbin, because of his friends. felix loved all the stewards and stewardesses in the plane to a great extent, and each of them had returned the love. they were all friends from college after all, and felix thinks it's a miracle they all landed in the same job. 

"weren't you very bright just now? now you're so dark. it's okay, i love dark."

felix wants to strangle changbin.

"sir, if you think that i was too bright, could i interest you in some sunscreen? if you despise me for being too dark, maybe i should provide you with a table lamp. i really don't mind selling those duty-free products to you now, you know that, right? the passengers are always our priority." 

the smile on felix's face is obviously fake, but felix still flashes it to changbin. 

"i said i love dark. do you get it?"

"not to be rude, sir, but i expected your language to be better. being dressed in such a nice suit makes me think highly of you. actually, should i give you a grammar book? or a self-help book? which do you prefer, sir?" 

the steward can see changbin's eyes roll into the back of his head, and it's so clear that changbin is provoked by felix's words. he knows he shouldn't be speaking so rudely to a passenger and meet the expectations of a steward's attitude, but there's so much pleasure to be able to provoke changbin like this. 

"just get me an espresso."

"coming right up, sir." 

felix disappears back into the kitchen, behind the curtains where changbin can see none of him.

.

doyeon eyes felix weirdly as he rips open the packet of instant coffee, looking like he's about to go berserk. the stewardess wants to ask why isn't the australian steward using the machine that were full with coffee, but opts to keep quiet when she sees the wild and mischievous glint in felix's orbs. daehwi comes over after preparing the food cart in advance, watching felix, and the words  _what's wrong with him?_ are written all over his face.

"whose coffee is that? also, you seem very mad." 

somi chirps in, looking past doyeon's shoulder to stare at the cup of instant coffee. felix gives her a small smile, and holds the cup in his hands. "for my ex-boyfriend, our dear 68G passenger! also, kyulkyung, don't look sorry. i like serving him, but in my own ways, you know?" he originally only said the first part, but added in the second when kyulkyung gave him an apologetic expression. ten's eyebrows shoot up but felix pats his shoulder, and goes back out.

.

when felix returns to seat 68G, changbin's head is down again. 

_i can't afford a complaint letter, but since changbin was praised so much by kyulkyung, this is my chance._

the steward pretends to trip over something non-existent on the floor and ends up spilling the coffee on changbin. he hears the passenger groans as the brown rains pours on him, and his lips curl into a sly smile.

"oh my god, i'm so sorry! i didn't mean it!"

felix feels changbin's predator gaze piercing through his whole figure and the heat emanating, and gives himself a clap on the back inwardly. changbin's white dress shirt is covered with coffee stains, and there isn't a hint of guiltiness in felix.  _he should be glad i cooled down the coffee._

"i demand you pay for my suit."

the steward raises his eyebrow and leans forward to tug on changbin's tie, caressing the soft material between his fingers as he whispers into changbin's ear.

"sir, since you're so rich, you should go get another suit for yourself. you can afford that anyways. the only thing you can't afford is a genuine apology from me." 

he hears changbin mutter  _i'm going to complain about you to your management_ , and felix leans in closer, his lips brushing against the shell of changbin's ear gently, the tie still in his grasp, and he can feel the chills that runs down his ex-boyfriend's back.

"honey, our airlines think that you're really nice. you won't complain about me, right?" 

felix disappears before changbin can even open his mouth.

.

an over-exaggerated sigh escapes daehwi's lips when felix explains what he had done, and somi takes over his place of serving changbin instead. chenle passes changbin a new set of clothes, and dozens of apologies roll of his tongue in a hurried manner. changbin brushes the matter off, beaming at somi's and chenle's attitude. the australian steward watches changbin through the curtains, and he wants to rolls his eyes right in front of changbin, or even drop the bowl of spaghetti on his stupid clothes.

daehwi does give felix a lecture after they had landed in paris, and were in their hotel rooms. ten and chenle sat by the side, focused on their mobile games while daehwi raised his voice every single time felix went against his words. 

"him being your ex-boyfriend doesn't give you the rights to be a stuck-up brat, you know!" 

"yea, i know."

"felix lee, i swear to damn god! when will you learn?"

"i'm learning now, i guess." 

the experienced steward is about to kick the blonde boy in the head, but felix is saved by jinyoung's call. daehwi was dating jinyoung, and they had plans to hold their wedding the following month. felix rolls off daehwi's bed and plops down loudly on his, scrolling through his twitter feed. he feels so relaxed until a message comes in and he becomes are riled up.

**message from seo changbin**

I will forget about just now, but I want you to meet me at Cafe des Deux Moulins in an hour, or else I will come and drag you out.

_who the fuck does he think he is?_

felix just turns off his phone and go through magazines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> felix is such a brat here


	2. excuse me (i'm pretty busy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> felix can't believe that changbin made him cry over something that happened a few years ago.

"i'm going out, you guys can have dinner without me. i will be back late." 

felix catches the way daehwi eyes him warily, how his eyebrows are furrowed and the slight downward curve his lips show. the words  _where are you going?_   are shown in daehwi's eyes, and the australian boy decides not to reply. the boy checks his phone for directions for whatever fancy café that asshole, changbin, wants to meet him at, but he ends up getting lost and tries to use his poor french to communicate with the locals, and he beams brightly when someone understands his words that are in a mess and leads him to Cafe des Deux Moulins. 

the wrist watch sitting on his wrist proudly tells him that he isn't late. felix looks around the café for a while, and he spots changbin in the most secluded corner. 

"what do you want? i'm pretty busy, i don't have time to meet you." 

felix spits out in vehemence and he invites himself to take the seat in front of changbin, shooting the latter a gaze that could pierce through someone like an arrow. changbin looks up from the papers in his hands for a while, and felix makes a  _tsk_ sound when he sees changbin hasn't changed at all. the older is still in the clothes that sorea airlines had provided for him, and felix honestly thinks that changbin is lazy as fuck. 

"i just wanted to talk to you. it has been a while, hasn't it?" 

the younger's eyebrows shoot up at changbin's words, and felix only gives changbin a  _hmm_ in response. the older keeps his papers back into his bag and leans forward, both elbows resting on the marble table. the distance between the two of them is shortened and felix leans back into his chair, his eyes telling changbin  _not to cross the damn line, you are no one to me right now_. 

"how have you been?" 

felix snorts at the question. 

"how have i been? oh honey, i've been living a good life since i got over your damn ass. achieving my dreams was the best thing, and being able to travel was the second best. ever since you left, at least i have been able to spend time with my cats, and not listen to your complaints on them. i have been living very well, especially with my friends. thanks for asking." 

changbin laughs and raises an eyebrow, and he looks like he's ready to attack back. felix's attitude on the plane had been a pain in the ass, and now the younger was causing him more pain and annoyance. 

"really? because i heard that you cried every night since i left you. you can't lie to me, you know?" 

those words make the steward look abashed and small, and changbin's gaze isn't helping either. felix can feel the panic rushing into him in huge waves, and he wants to cry at the thoughts of that. the sting is as unbearable and felix can feel his tears falling, the pain of heartbreak attacking him again. felix can see changbin panicking in his peripheral vision, and he wishes he didn't even show up in the first place. chenle and ten would have tried to chase changbin away, and somi and kyulkyung would be out there scolding him for even trying to contact felix. 

people in the café don't seem to pay any attention to them, and felix feels the tiny bit of gratefulness that is cornered by the bullies - panic. he feels his tears being wiped away, and the soft material of the tissue rubbing against his cheek gently. felix finally stops crying after a while and he looks back at changbin, ignoring the way the latter's lips curl up into a small smile at his red eyes and nose. 

"i'm really sorry, let me buy you something as compensation. never knew those few words could make you cry."

nothing but rage enters felix and kicks the depression out of him, and felix has to resist the urge to strangle changbin in the café and leave him gasping for air.

"do you think i'm some materialistic person who you can comfort with money? what are you even trying to do? asking me out here, making me cry, then trying to buy me something now? is this how you try to save a relationship?" 

changbin is honestly surprised at the steward's words, and he chuckles. the heat emanating from felix is so much, that changbin wants to joke that people in café's kitchen are sweating from head to toe, but he keeps his mouth shut and lets felix have his little tantrum. the tears come back soon enough when felix drowns himself in the ocean of sorrow, and he's stuttering so unusually that changbin feels so soft for him and only wants to wrap felix in his arms.

the ceo had planned to be nice to felix and console him, although he knows that the steward doesn't appreciate it. he's about to open his mouth and deliver words of comfort, when he hears the words  _you are such an idiot, you made me suffer so much, i cried every time i didn't see you in bed_ and a smirk appears on his face.

"weren't you very strong just now? the word 'weak' doesn't seem to be in your dictionary, you know." 

the next thing changbin feels is a stinging pain on his cheek. 

felix had slapped him out of anger. 

any other person would be in a mix of pain and anger right now, but the state felix is in makes changbin's eyes waver with guilty. the tears on the australian boy's cheeks are drying, but new ones keep coming out, even with the two of them not saying anything. all changbin does is pull felix into his arms, tightening his grasp so the younger doesn't run away. he can feel the younger's futile attempts at escaping. changbin smiles when felix relaxes in his hold, tears still rolling down and muttering incoherent words. 

_seo changbin, you're an absolute idiot._

at those words, changbin knows that felix had already put down his guard, and he speaks in a soft and gentle manner, not wanting to hurt the younger anymore.

"i'm really sorry, i should have been nicer, i guess. just wanted to talk to you and catch up, you know. let me send you back to your hotel." 

felix doesn't have the energy to protest anymore, since he had used it on crying and bringing up all the pain he had suffered. changbin doesn't even bother to get felix to stand up, instead carrying the younger in his arms. 

 _he has definitely lost weight,_ the older talks to himself inwardly. felix doesn't move an inch when he's in changbin's arms, and the latter wants to praise him for being a good boy and not causing any trouble, but he knows that's just going to make felix feel even more abashed and start crying, or make him be that sassy little brat again.

"which hotel are you staying in?"

"Hotel Marquis Faubourg Saint." 

 _sorea airlines really treat their staff well._ the hotel was over a thousand per night, and this paris trip was at least 8 days long. it would have added up over a fifty thousand, including the expenses and salaries of the flying staff. 

the ride back to the hotel is covered with thick layers of silence, and changbin focuses on the road and tries not to let his attention get to felix, who was staring at all the buildings they drove by. felix still looked like the sweet boy he had a relationship with, and the only thing that changed was his attitude towards him. changbin understands it, since he broke up with the steward for an impossibly stupid reason and left the younger in devastation. he wants to make it up to felix, but he knows it's not the time right now.

.

in around 20 minutes, they arrive at the hotel and the stars were already shining in the night sky. changbin accompanies felix up to his hotel room, and he smiles when the steward doesn't make a scene, and concedes instead. the awkward tension is heavy in the air when felix opens the door to see the stewardesses and the stewards in the same room, their laughter clear and loud. somi notices felix first, since she's facing the door. the relieved smile on her face disappears as it appears when she sees changbin behind felix.

before the australian boy can speak, he sees changbin get slapped in his peripheral vision, but by somi instead of him. changbin doesn't mutter a word, but only smiles at felix. the australian boy shoots an apologetic gaze and shuts the door behind him once he's inside, and somi starts complaining.

"felix, you should have let me teach him a lesson! i know he made you cry! your eyes and nose are both so red!" 

chenle makes felix sit down and explain the situation, and felix feels apologetic when he sees the worry surging through doyeon evidently. he explains the situation without any tears, but they still pull him into a hug anyways, their hands roaming around his back in comfort. 

"it's okay. let's just talk about something else, guys. like daehwi's wedding?" 

loud laughters and happy noises fill the room once again as daehwi tells them about the wedding, and doyeon is out there cracking jokes. the purple-haired steward tells them that the wedding would be held in jinyoung's house, and that they were planning a gatecrash since somi suggested. somi pulls out a list of things to prepare for the gatecrash, and how they should not let jinyoung see daehwi as much as possible, since the younger was taking the role of the bride. kyulkyung giggled at the conversation, and felix could see daehwi's cheek flushing red at certain times.

_daehwi is so blessed, when will i ever get married too? or even have another stable relationship._

felix ignores his thoughts and laughs along with his friends, but the pain is still remains inside of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont rly have anything to say but enjoy   
> also this was very badly written


	3. we don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> felix is softening quickly.

relieve blossoms in felix's heart throughout the paris trip, because changbin doesn't contact him or ask to meet him. the australian boy is honestly a little bit disappointed, but he always tells himself changbin was the one who gave him those wounds, so that bit of disappointment disappears. somi had been bringing their group around the famous spots in paris, and felix is enjoying himself a lot. the group of stewards and stewardesses had visited attractions like the eiffel tower, arc de triomphe and museums like the louvre. originally, they weren't planning to spend their time in disneyland, but chenle dragged them in anyways. who could say no to such a cute boy? 

all good things aren't permanent, and will undoubtedly come to the end. instead of stuffing his clothes into his luggage like the other stewards, felix chooses to lay on his bed, scroll through twitter and laugh once in a while at a hilarious tweet he passes by. there's about a few more hours to their flight, and they should be reporting soon, but the australian boy is still enjoying his fun.

"are you planning to stay in paris or what? we need to report soon!" 

felix brushes it off and tells daehwi he had packed his luggage beforehand. to their surprise, the australian boy had really packed it. all his clothes were folded neatly and tucked away in the corners of his luggage, and all the souvenirs they had gotten were all in a ziplock bag. daehwi's doubtful expression did go away, but he attacks again, asking felix if he had put on his uniform. 

"i will put it on when you guys have done it."

"felix, we're done already, even with our uniforms."

scanning his eyes across the three other stewards, felix grimaced and got his lazy ass up and changed into his uniform. soon enough, he was in that long sleeved shirt and pants, the navy jacket and pins standing proudly. he hears daehwi mutter a praise, and his lips curl up into a smile. felix pulls up the handle of his luggage and flashes the other three a smile, and ten only laughs at him.

"alright, let's just go find the girls and we are ready to go." 

the four guys head towards the stewardesses' room, and are happy to find them all ready. the seven make their way down to the lobby and check out, then clamber into the notoriously small van that had came to pick them up. felix sticks with his usual back-row seat in the corner, and scrolls through his phone in silence throughout the drive to the airport. 

"kyulkyung, you should go serve passenger 68G later. don't let felix cause any more trouble, alright?"

"hey, i didn't cause any trouble!"

"you should be grateful that he didn't complain!"

there's a huge urge to continue arguing with daehwi, but felix decides to keep his mouth shut anyways. everyone wants to enjoy the trip back to korea, and felix is no exception. silence fills the van again and daehwi's quiet voice comes in after a while, and then kyulkyung's voice comes in. they are talking about their duties later on, then guessing where would they go for their next trip. 

.

seven of them reach the airport, and they all go through the procedure every flying staff has to go through. felix feels a bit tired and decides to hop on the counter, although he know he's not supposed to and that daehwi would scold him. they talk about their trip. they haven't even left paris, but they are already missing it and recalling all the memories. ten recalls on how loud doyeon screamed beside him when on the rollercoaster, and he's wincing soon enough from the latter's hit. felix laughs and all of them chat until daehwi tells them it's time to do a check on the plane itself, and they all go out to different cabins.

no one had went to the first cabin, and felix went there. he feels embarrassed when he notices it's the first class cabin, and the events of a week ago come flooding into his mind. felix blinks and shakes the thoughts out of his head, and continues with the check. everything seems in place and alright, so he returns to the kitchen, where they are all hidden behind the curtain from the passengers. 

laughter fills the kitchen when they start to recall their fun activities again, and they don't even realise that time had passed so quickly, until the system literally screams at them to report for their duties. they laugh again and go out to greet the passengers that stroll in. felix remains in the business class cabin, and doyeon goes over to the first class cabin to greet, although there were less than 10 passengers. the australian boy can make out same familiar faces from 10 days before, and he greets them with even more passion. it's weird in a scary way, he knows, but he isn't going to get scolded by daehwi or get a complaint letter delivered to him at the very least.

felix helps a few passengers put up their luggages in the overhead cabin before returning to the kitchen, and daehwi is telling kyulkyung on how to greet passenger 68G. said stewardess looks a little lost, and felix just tells daehwi he would go and pushes past them. faint footsteps can be heard but it stops soon, and felix takes it as daehwi decided it's futile to get him back.

he reaches seat 68G but doesn't say anything, and only stares at changbin. the older is dressed in a suit, but this time it's navy, and people could have mistook him for one of their crew if he had those gold pins and manners on him. felix decides to wait until his ex-boyfriend notices his presence, and takes his time to stare the older in the process of waiting. changbin looks up at him soon enough, and felix gives him a small smile. changbin honestly thinks it resembles a cat and that it's cute, so he smiles back.

"is there anything you would like to request, sir?" 

those words aren't the right way to greet a passenger, put aside a vip cardholder, but felix does it anyways. he knows changbin doesn't mind his attitude, and a game needs to be played by two.

"you're such an unfamiliar person when i see you on the plane."

"i'm the still same old me, what are you talking about?"

"one week ago you were out there crying over past matters and now you're being all sassy to me."

"honey, do you want me to spill that cup of fucking espresso on your suit again?"

changbin only laughs and resumes to those papers in his hands, and felix wonders why the fuck does he have to keep reading those goddamn papers, even on the plane.

"i bet you read those papers throughout the entire trip. what are you even working as? are those papers that important?"

"i own a goddamn company, felix."

felix's eyebrow shoots up at the words  _own_ and  _company._

"so you're a ceo?"

"what else?"

"hmm, okay. you don't look like one."

"that's because you treat me as if i'm a bad person."

"you are a bad person, you know that?"

the older doesn't reply and focuses on those papers. a pout appears on felix's face and leans forward to look at those papers, ignoring the fact he's probably crossing the line and that the passengers in front could see them anytime and mistaken them as a fucking couple. 

_that's the history. it's never happening again. right?_

"move, i can't see clearly."

"why do you even bother reading it anyways?"

he doesn't answer but clambers over changbin and plop down onto the next seat, when he could have just walked and get there comfortably. felix ignores the fact that he's being rude again and leans in to take a closer look at changbin's papers, eyes scanning through those words. he can't assimilate half of them, and he blames it on being from australia. changbin chuckles and felix complains to him about how those words don't make sense, and the former just tells him that he needs to learn more korean. 

said boy shrugs and returns to the kitchen, taking it as changbin didn't need anything. daehwi's eyes are boring into felix's neck and the latter can fill it, so he turns around from getting that cup of orange juice and looks at the former. heat sure was emanating from daehwi, but the australian boy just brushes it off and talks to somi like it's something usual. doyeon and chenle chirp in, and ten joins their chat too. daehwi and kyulkyung get out to find the passengers who have pressed the service button, and they just continue talking.

the whole flight consists of their non-stop chattering, their usual duties and going out to help passengers. time does pass fast enough and they are back in korea again, and all of them are out there bidding goodbyes to the passengers. changbin is the last to leave and felix looks at him, and gets a small smirk in return. 

"ey, was there something that happened to you two after that café shit?" 

"stop overthinking, nothing happened."

out of his peripheral vision, felix can see the pout of ten's face but he ignores it. he follows daehwi and doyeon to get their belongings, and the rest do the same.

.

once they're done with the procedure again, felix tells daehwi he wouldn't be going back to their shared apartment first, and would be visiting minho and jisung.

"i'm going to visit my brother and his boyfriend. i will be back by dinner, so you guys go first."

"get there and come back home safely. do you need me to call a cab for you?"

"it's okay, it's not far from here."

daehwi nods and the rest of them get into jinyoung's car. jinyoung had volunteered to come pick them up so that they could save money on calling two goddamn cabs, and they also thought that it was another reason for the engaged couple to meet each other. jinyoung was always busy with work and could barely spend time with daehwi, so daehwi opted to live with their group of friends. he was going to end up doing nothing if he lived at his fiance's mansion anyways.

.

minho's apartment isn't really far from the airport, and it's within a manageable walking distance. the steward sure is dead tired, but minho always cheers him up and puts his exhaustion away. he's felix's only family member after all. the poor australian boy's parents had left him in an orphanage in korea, and minho's parents took him in, treated him like their own child and minho doted on him more than anyone else. happiness was what felix felt for a long time, but it soon disappeared when their parents were killed in a car accident. since then, the older of two swore to protect felix, and felix thinks that minho is doing a good job and is the best brother he could ever ask for. he would cry a river if something ever happened to minho, and also punch jisung in his damn face if he ever hurt his precious older brother.

the steward reaches minho's apartment fast enough, and his knuckles rap on the front door. minho opens the door in a minute, and he envelops felix into a tight hug once he sees the steward. felix hugs back, immersing himself in the warmth and love minho is drowning him in, and he almost feels tears brimming at his eyes. they barely got to see each other after minho decided to pursue his studies in university, and after felix chose to became a steward. 

"god, baby, i miss you. how was paris? did you enjoy yourself? was there anyone who bullied you there? were the passengers nice?"

"geez, calm down! let's go in first, i want to see jisung too."

the older eventually lets go of felix after an additional minute for silent hugging, and leads the latter in. felix sees jisung and throws himself at his brother's boyfriend, almost crushing him but they end up in a hug anyways. jisung may be the same age as felix, but he had treated felix like a real little brother, just like minho did. jisung and minho dated since felix got out of college, and the love felix was given doubled. minho didn't mind seeing his boyfriend and brother being so close, because they all felt like family. 

jisung lets go of felix after a while and pats his head, earning a pout from felix. the oldest of all sits down on the couch, and the couple starts questioning felix about his time in paris. 

"it was really fun. we had so much time so we went to many places. i bought a lot of souvenirs for you guys!"

the steward pulls out a few boxes that he hid below his clothes, and gave it to the couple. those souvenirs were placed nicely in those boxes unlike the ones his friends had seen in the clear ziplock bags. minho slaps felix's arm for buying something so expensive when the latter mentions the estimated price in korean won, and felix only laughs. 

"it's alright! you guys are the most important people to me. how could i just get something cheap for you two?" 

jisung's reaction is different from minho. he thanks felix happily, admiring his new watch that had always sat on the top of his wishlist. minho sighs at felix but presses a kiss to the younger's cheek anyways, going to the kitchen to get food for his little brother. time is spent with them eating and watching netflix, with felix laughing out loudly and the couple cuddling at the corner of the couch.

.

time passes quickly again, and minho decides to send felix back to his apartment. jisung had followed along and let felix sit in the front, so that the two brothers could talk more comfortably.

"be safe, alright? call me when you are going to sleep, baby." 

"i know, and i will. you know that, right?"

"of course. you will always call me and tell me good night." 

felix smiles and the warmth in his heart is blossoming. he feels like he wants to stay in this happy moment forever, spending time with his brother and jisung. minho drops felix off at their apartment, and there's a pang of sadness when minho drives away. the steward makes his way inside and sees his friends all crowded around the tv, watching ten and doyeon intensely compete. he decides to scare them and the attempt is successful, because daehwi lets out a shriek and makes chenle let out his dolphin screams as well. when they scream, it becomes a whole dolphin aquarium. 

the shower is the first thing felix hits, and he lets the water droplets hit his shoulders and back. felix's dead tired now since minho isn't here, and he's planning to hit the bed as long as he steps out of the shower and finishes unpacking. unpacking was always easy for felix, and it took him only 15 minutes to throw the dirty clothes into the washing machine, and hang up those new clothes. he goes to dries his hair, using ten's hairdryer without any permission. sleep is about to take over felix once the steward is done drying is hair, but a message comes in unexpectedly.

**message from seo changbin**

Hey, I'm outside of your apartment. I want to bring you out to somewhere. 

_what the fuck. how does he even know where i live?_

**felix**

what the heck are you doing there?

**seo changbin**

Just come out, will you?

 

the steward wants to protest and say he's dead tired, but he doesn't want changbin in the apartment so he throws on an old hoodie and jeans, grabbing his wallet, keys and phone then rushing out to the front door. none of his friends ask him where's he's going and he's glad, because he doesn't bother to explain and cause a scene. changbin is outside of the apartment. the two different things felix notice is that the older isn't in his suit, but he's dressed down to a matching hoodie and jeans, and that there's a bicycle standing behind him.

"are you deciding to match outfits with me?"

felix snorts and says changbin is the one who copied him, and the latter just shrugs and tells him to hop onto the bicycle. felix wonders where they are going to go, but he hops onto the seat and let changbin bring him out on whatever adventure he had planned. the ceo sits in front, cycling away from the apartment at a safe speed. the steward wraps his arm around the older's waist without any permission, and he says he's scared of falling when changbin laughs.

_am i falling for him again?_

the ride to who knows where is silent, and felix lets himself admire those buildings they pass by, and lets the wind hit him gently. they haven't been this close for a long period of time, and there's awkwardness between them, but the familiar warmth and passion covers it. changbin tells felix to get off after 10 minutes, and the latter hops down, a little bit unwillingly. he watches as changbin locks up his bike, and pull him into an open space.

_ah, it's a carnival!_

felix tells himself when he spots the bright lights, the rides, the food booths and of course the photo-taking booths. changbin challenges him to ride once they step in and felix agrees, without any hesitation in his voice. the steward does enjoy the ride. it's thrilling, and you get to see the night sky and the tall buildings in the distance. felix makes changbin accompany him on other rides and he laughs when changbin praises him for being a  _brave boy_. 

their stomaches rumble after a few rides, and changbin goes to get some of felix's favourite carnival food. they sit at a place where they can see the fireworks display clearly, and felix enjoys his food happily. he doesn't feel changbin's hand that is intertwined with his, and neither does he catch the smile on changbin's face. felix looks at the fireworks, and he thinks they are really beautiful.

"changbin, look! those fireworks are beautiful."

"meh, i didn't catch that."

"what? they were so pretty!" 

felix turns his head and he's met with changbin dangerously close to him. that's acceptable, because he had been this close with changbin on the plane and before, but the thing that surprises him is the pair of lips on his. they hadn't had such contact since their break up years ago, and felix is honestly surprised. there's this gaze in changbin's eyes that tells him to kiss back, so felix complies, although he knows he's being a fucking fool and being soft for his ex-boyfriend. 

the feeling from long ago returns and hits felix, and he realises how much he had missed it. changbin pulls him closer, holding him in his arms. he feels safe, despite the fact that they are no longer together. the kiss is pretty long but it isn't that rough. it's slow, as if it's giving felix the time to take all those feelings back in. changbin pulls away after a few minutes, and felix wants to punch the sly smile out of his face.

"i wasn't looking at the fireworks because you were too pretty. even prettier than the fireworks." 

a laugh comes out from the australian boy and the red is evident on his face. it's a little awkward and felix tries to change the topic, asking why would changbin bring him to this place.

"my life isn't all about money, you know. although i have to hold up the reputation of being a ceo, i still love to come out and enjoy things like that. we don't need money to have fun." 

felix nods and smiles, and changbin kisses him once again. 

all felix feels is his love that is returning for the man kissing him right now.

.

the ceo sends the younger back after taking photos at the booths and giving felix half of the polaroids and prints, heart melting when he sees the happy smile on the younger's face. he drops felix off at his front door, and kisses felix's forehead quickly before waving goodbye.

"bye, you idiot!"

"sleep well." 

changbin cycles away after making sure felix disappeared into the apartment.

.

"dude, did you go out with changbin?"

somi asks when felix steps into the apartment, and the latter shrugs.

"does it count as going out? whatever, i'm going to sleep. nights!"

.

that night, felix laid on his bed, thinking about something.

_are my feelings returning for changbin?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love minho being felix's brother  
> also this story progresses so damn fast


	4. the night ocean that we used to walk by (now the cold ocean wind blows like a knife)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things take a huge turn in taiwan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the chapter where the death happens! if you don't want to read it, feel free to skip, i will summarise in the notes for chapter 5 if you have skipped! do enjoy. :)

happiness is all that remains in felix's heart, and there's warmth rushing through his veins whenever changbin comes into his mind. the carnival date comes into sight when he thinks of changbin, and all he feels is that jittery feeling that appears in his stomach. it's the same feelings he felt many years ago. no one would have expected it to come back, and further more the return of it caused by the man who hurt him. felix feels like he's falling in love all over again, just like he did for the older years ago. a deadly, fatal crush that could either grant you happiness or break your heart. 

"can you stop squirming under the covers? it's freaking me out, kid."

felix pulls his blanket down to meet eyes with ten, who had his arms crossed and a tiny frown on his face. he only gave a small giggle in response, and watched as ten walked over to him, shooed him to the wall and invited himself on the bed. the australian steward sits up and crosses his legs, allowing ten to sit more comfortably. 

"my dear boy, are you falling in love with the man who broke your heart, drowned you in that period of depression? are you planning on being foolish?" 

it was felix's turn to cross his arm, and ten only lets out a chuckle, making the pout appear on felix's face. 'cute' was a word rarely used on felix, because the australian boy never showed his cute side to his friends. so far, he had only acted cute in front of changbin, and of course his beloved older brother, minho. 

"by the ways, you have a flight scheduled to taiwan next week. it's a 3-days trip, so it won't be that long. just try to make use of your full time there. only doyeon and chenle will follow you, because the rest of us are flying to hong kong and japan." 

"i'm assuming that daehwi is flying to japan with somi, and the rest of you are to hong kong? doesn't this mean that we will have new cabin members with us?" 

"yes, and no. you matched them correctly to their flight destinations, but the taiwan trip will only consist of the 3 of you as cabin crews. it's the flight for only first class passengers, so there won't be many of them. if you guys learn how to split up the duties, it will be easy. you have a shit ton of experience anyways." 

felix nods in response and beams. he already feels the excitement of flying to taiwan bubbling in his stomach. chenle had flew to taiwan more than a dozen times for working and non-working purposes, and the reason was mainly because there were taiwanese passengers and they communicated in chinese language. chenle complains that he's dead tired of flying to taiwan, but he always rambles on & on about the street food there, because it's just so fucking amazing and better than the food they have here. 

also, the thought of serving first class passengers makes him happy. changbin may appear, but if he doesn't, at least they have nice resting areas reserved for them. in such only-first-class flights, the cabin crew had really luxurious resting areas. it just felt like a mini google office sleeping area to felix, and he loved every part of it. the boy barely worked in such flights, being posted to business class or economic class instead. the resting areas were cramp and stuffy, but hey, at least the high standard of the food was always consistent.

"i can't wait. chenle had mentioned so much about the food there. i bet i will turn fat after the taiwan trip, even if it's only 3 days long."

"stop thinking about food, would you?" 

chenle barges into the room at the exact moment ten finishes his sentence, and starts talking about the food in taiwan. their conversation makes felix put away the thoughts of changbin, and all he thinks about is the minced pork rice he will get to try.

.

the week passes and a new week arrives quickly. felix had woken up early because doyeon insisted they help her with doing her make-up, although they were guys. it wasn't like felix never put on makeup before. he was in the dance team during his high school times, and they always put on makeup for performances such as musicals or broadway ones. at least the makeup required for a stewardess to put on was better-looking than his performance ones, so felix wouldn't burst out laughing. 

it was around three in the morning, and chenle was just sitting grouchily in the bean bag resting at the corner of doyeon's room. felix was helping doyeon out, trying to lower the volume of their conversation because kyulkyung was still asleep, and she had to wake up in 2 hours to fly to hong kong. daehwi and somi had already got out of the apartment to the airport several hours ago, their flight having starting at 12 midnight. 

the brush swipes across doyeon's cheek gently, and felix stares at the colour that is slowly starting to appear as he repeats his action. the light shade of pink is finally visible on doyeon's face, and she shoos felix away so that she can tie her hair, but felix takes it as a thank you. seeing there was 2 more hours to reporting, felix decided to change in advance, and literally push chenle into his uniform. the stewardess already had her luggage and attire ready by then. 

"wouldn't that choke you?"

"this thing? nah." 

stewardesses had to wear this silk around their neck, with a ribbon securing it. it had blue and white stripes as recurring motifs that were embellishing the cloth, and felix swears that he can see some gold sparkling under the light. he obviously thinks it's pretty, but he also thought that it could choke people, cut off their breaths, and bring them to death. the thoughts disappear when chenle says he's ready, and they all make their way to the airport. felix decides to space out during the ride, ignoring chenle's and doyeon's chattering on taiwan food, although he's anticipating it so much.

.

"good morning, welcome to sorea airlines! do you need help finding your seat, or perhaps with your luggage?"  

it's the same words again, that appear at the start of every flight. the customers have started boarding the plane, and doyeon along with felix were out there greeting, while chenle did an inspection, like daehwi always did. felix greets happily, whether the faces were familiar or unfamiliar. he had sometimes memorised the passengers' faces, and they always seemed to book the same class.

the passengers don't ask for any help at all, and felix returns to the kitchen with doyeon. chenle is looking through the menu now, and making sure there are sufficient meals provided for everyone on the plane.

"felix, seat 13A. the only passenger sitting in the whole cabin, go greet him." 

felix doesnt' argue and nods and heads over to cabin A. the plane had been divided into three cabins - A, B and S. cabins A and B belonged to the passengers, and cabin S belonged to the cabin crew. it was clear the S stood for the word staff, although they could have put C and stand for cabin crew or crew. felix doesn't recognise the mop of black hair, but when he sees the familiar gucci bag looking at him, half of it hidden by the seat, he knows who it is already.

"hey. we meet again." 

"is this fate or are do you just want to kiss me again?" 

the steward laughs at changbin's question, making sure the curtains are closed before letting himself sit on one of the hand rest of the chair. changbin only gives him a raised eyebrow, and the giggles spill out of his mouth without any reason.

"are you implying that i want to kiss you again? it feels like the other way around." 

"works either way." 

felix asks why changbin is on this flight, to taiwan, and he gets the usual response of i'm going there for a business trip/meeting, and honestly, it bores felix, because after changbin had been ceo, he looked like he didn't know how to enjoy life anymore. except for the day they went to the carnival together, only because felix felt too happy and thinks his ex-boyfriend is happy too. 

"do you live in hotels anyways?"

"no. i prefer airbnb apartments, they feel much more like home."

"isn't it awkward to live with the host?" 

"nah, i filter my searches to houses with no hosts."

"the word host makes me think of parasitism, you know?"

"felix, you just ruined this fucking lovely mood reminding me of school."

"what? you were studious in high school!" 

the two of them had only met in the last year of high school, and coincidentally progressed into the same college. the seo changbin last time was nothing but studious, often dragging felix to the library so that he could save the latter from getting expelled. 

the steward laughs and apologises in a fake tone, earning himself a snarl from changbin. it looked rather cute, and not animalistic like he expected it to be. after all, changbin always had this grumpy expression or his resting bitch face on, and felix sometimes felt like slapping it out of the ceo's face. 

"well, i will see you in taiwan, i guess." 

"hmm." 

changbin watches as felix disappears behind the curtains to the other cabin. 

.

they land in taiwan quickly, and felix is already jumping, wanting to try the food. chenle tells him they will only visit the night market in the nighttime, and all the excitement vanishes into thin air, but the anticipating sits in him quietly. they greet the passengers goodbye and hoping they had a good flight, although they barely gave a fuck. changbin was the last to leave and doyeon nudged the australian boy when the older passed by. felix flashed a small smile and got one in return, and it kind of makes him feel heady. it was as if he was entering college again, having a crush on changbin all over again.

sorea airlines had a car assigned to bring them to the place they were staying for the next day. it was an airbnb apartment like changbin's instead of a hotel, and with no host. it looked big for the 3 of them, and each of them owned their own room for the next 3 days. back in their shared apartments, they had to share rooms, and felix was lucky enough to kick everyone out and get his own room. but this room was much better than the one at home, and the australian boy felt so blessed.

"flying to taiwan, eating delicious food, and having such a nice room. what else is there to ask for?" 

felix screams out of the window like a dog gone berserk, letting the sun shine on his face. it made be much more warmer here, but it was better than korea's temperature. wind breezed by every few minutes, and felix just stood there, letting himself bask in the nice weather and view. 

.

everyone feels that time passes much more quicker here in taiwan, but it's just their imagination. they had already returned to their apartment after visiting the night market, and having a shit ton of delectable food. chenle insisted on trying the minced pork rice and doyeon argued, saying that they should get the noodles instead. the trio ended up having both noodles and rice, and felix was pretty glad they argued. shops were the next thing they met, so they went around buying things munching on those salted beef cubes that chenle claimed to be heavenly.

chenle is almost falling off the couch while he battles with doyeon in a game, and he just resembles a low-maintenance person while doyeon is sitting upright, shouting curse words every two seconds. the australian boy decides to step out of the apartment, let himself breathe in the air in taiwan and have a good look at the moon. it's beautiful, and it really is. clouds were barely covering the real beauty of the moon, and felix's eyes turns into crescents when he smiles. stars twinkle in the dark night sky, and they look so bright and shiny. since months have changed, he barely saw such sight back in korea anymore. he could fly to somewhere with a nice night view just to let himself look at the night sky, but his work always come first. 

"wow, is this really fate?"

felix swears that his neck almost snaps when he whips his head too harshly back, and his hand comes up to grab at his neck. there's a slight pain and he winces, but he looks up at the person after a second.

"seo changbin?" 

"guess your apartment is next to mine."

"jesus christ."

the older only laughs. he's dressed back in an outfit similar to the one he wore to the carnival. felix remembers that and the blood rushes up to his face, turning him into a tomato. changbin laughs again, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. he looks good, and that's what felix thought. the casual, relaxed look fitted him better than his ceo look, because felix wasn't used to it after all. but he can't deny that changbin looked good.

"why aren't you with your friends?"

"just wanted to take a look at the sky. it's beautiful."

"last week, you complimented the fireworks for being beautiful, and now you're telling the sky it is." 

"hmph, shut up." 

"my apartment has a rooftop. want to come up? you can have a better view, and i have a telescope."

the steward nods immediately at the offer. their apartment didn't have a rooftop, so he couldn't go up and take a look at the sky. the ceo laughed and led the two of them inside, letting felix climb the ladder that lead to the rooftop because the younger looked like an excited child who was at the playground. felix looks into the telescope once it is in his reach, grabbing it with so much force that changbin is worried that it will break. changbin opts to watch felix look through the telescope, his lips curling into a smile when felix recognises certain things and shouts out loud.

"changbin, come look!"

he joins felix in stargazing, and they have small conversations about the star. changbin is surprised that felix had so much knowledge, and the latter claims that he had interest in astrology, but never took it up anyways. the australian boy even had astrologer as his second dream job, but of course, being a steward came face. during the whole stargazing time, changbin stared at felix instead of the stars. in the older's eyes, the australian boy shined brighter than any star in this universe. he had told himself to control his feelings that were returning as well for the boy, but he feels like he's whipped every time felix comes into sight. it's like the steward suddenly became an addictive dangerous activity, something changbin would want to keep his distance away from, but he keeps getting drawn in. 

they continue to talk about the stars then their usual lives, and it's just filled with happiness and joyfulness. it feels so eccentric that felix honestly thinks he's dreaming. being on good terms with changbin and getting close to him, having such caring friends and a precious brother with a boyfriend who treated him well. everything feels like a puzzle that was perfectly done, where every piece fit into each other.

the steward's phone rang halfway in their conversation of their college friends, and felix excuses himself. it's an incoming call from jisung, and felix wonders why the former isn't sleeping at this time. minho would have made jisung sleep by now, which was 90% of the time. the other 10% included watching netflix, studying or doing some work.

_maybe jisung wanted to ask something related to his studies. or what movies were good to watch on netflix. but he could have texted me._

felix just answers the call.

"hello?" 

"felix, are you free to talk now? i really need your attention and time." 

"uh, okay. jisung, why do you sound so formal? it's not like you."

"whatever i'm about to say is real. i want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but it's impossible."

"jisung, what's wrong?" 

"minho passed away."

those three words hit felix hard, and he almost drops his phone. 

_his beloved brother, minho, is dead?_

"jisung, don't joke!" 

"felix, like i said, whatever i say is real! i really really want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but minho got into a car accident around two hours ago while coming back from classes, and i only got informed by the hospital a few seconds ago! we both wish this wasn't real and we both love minho, but we have to accept it!" 

dead silence is the thing that fills the air, and a few seconds later, quiet sobbing sounds come in. changbin finds it weird and he almost has a heart attack when he sees felix almost flooding the whole rooftop with his tears, and that he was on the phone with jisung.

"hey, i'm changbin. felix is crying a lot, so may i know what happened?"

"minho got into a car accident, and he didn't survive." 

changbin too freezes in his spot, but he doesn't let felix's phone slip out of his grasp. the younger is still sobbing uncontrollably, and it looked like he had no plans to actually stop.

"is this real, jisung?" 

"yes, i'm not kidding! i'm on my way to the hospital right now."

changbin doesn't say anything but only tells jisung that he would contact him on behalf of felix, and ends the call. he wraps his arms around the younger, pulling him into a tight hug. all felix needed now was someone to tell him it wasn't real, but that was just impossible. 

_minho is gone. my whole family is gone. who am i going to lean on, who will be there to give me support?_

they stay like that for the whole night, and when chenle calls, changbin sends felix back and tells the other two about the situation. chenle and doyeon thank changbin, and envelop felix into a tight hug once changbin bids them goodbye. felix is still crying, unable to say anything. he's trying hard to accept the truth, but he can't let go of minho easily. he wants to pray to god, let god punish him for all his wrongdoings, just to have minho back with him, beside him, as long as he wasn't away from this world, felix was willing to do anything.

chenle and doyeon let felix go and comfort him, carrying him back to his room when the australian steward had fallen asleep from crying so much. 

"poor felix. i didn't expect this to happen.." 

"he can only fly back after this trip." 

"let's not disturb him. i will excuse him by telling the company." 

.

it's been two days and they're now flying back to korea. chenle and doyeon are out working while felix sits in cabin S. he feels apologetic, but sadness is the only thing that engulfs him. after arriving in korea, he would head straight to minho's funeral, which was held near an ocean where the two brothers used to go to every night. it had nothing but happy memories, and felix had told jisung he wanted to hold it there, when he finally got his ability to speak.

_he knows that there's a high chance that he would lose it._

_._

his cabin crew along with daehwi and somi are here to visit, because the ones flying to hong kong were still there. they had received the news and made sure to visit once they came back. felix spotted jisung sitting near the casket, and he looked the most ruined, even though he wasn't blood-related to minho. no one here was, but felix was the closest, being minho's brother that his parents had adopted. 

there's a framed picture of minho in the garlands of flowers, and felix feels those tears brimming at his eyes when he looks at the picture. minho's smiling so happily in this picture, but everyone here just looks depressed. it's as if minho was telling them to be happy. his friends pay their respects in silence, and felix can see daehwi shivering visibly. minho was really fond of daehwi, and always had him and felix over when they were free. since daehwi had been on more flights, it was only felix since then. 

people are scattered around the area, and felix can make out some familiar faces. minho's college friends, who had seen before and ate with them. also minho's university friends that were always seen in the same picture he was in. they always had the brightest, shining smiles, but those smiles were turned around. felix is still in his uniform, not bothering to change. the others had wanted to but didn't want to waste any time. the australian boy makes his way to minho's casket, and jisung's head whips as he notices felix's presence in the area.

"are you okay?"

felix asks jisung in a small voice, because the latter looks like a mess. it also makes felix's heart break into pieces, because jisung was like his brother as well. seeing his friends and family members being sad or crying made him sad. but minho's death just made him feel like he's unable to live anymore. he wants minho back here, and he knows jisung wants minho back too. it's written all over jisung's face, and the answer to his question is there too.

_no, jisung isn't okay. none of us are._

the steward says a few words and pay his respects. there's this urge to break down, to cry again, stop the words from flowing out, but he always recalls minho's words of being strong. 

_even if i am not here, don't feel tired, because i will always be in your heart, cheering for you. i would never want to see you crying, because those tears should never flow down your face. promise me to be strong, and never let go. learn to hold on and persevere, even if it feels like the end of the world is arriving._

felix keeps quiet after that, only comforting jisung with his actions. they both stay at the casket, with little to no rest. felix had fallen asleep for a few hours for the past 3 days the funeral was held, and his friends urged him to come back home. even jisung told him with his eyes, but felix only rejected everything. he went back a few times to shower, change his clothes, then remain in that depression-filled state. 

_all he felt like was dying._

_but he knew minho was watching him, regardless of his state._

the boy just keeps telling himself to be strong, so that he wouldn't break minho's promise. the tears were almost escaping when felix walked by the ocean, letting the cold wind pierce into his heart as he recalls their memories here. it was all supposed to be happy ones, but he only felt dejection. the first memory was minho bringing felix to play when he had finally entered the final year of middle school, and they had a picnic with their parents too. the next memory was when minho got into college and felix was already in high school, so they came out to just chill and look at the scenery. rest of the memories were pretty blur to felix, because minho had brought him out here too many times. he felt like if he focused, he could see minho again. minho, who was dressed in that blue and white striped t-shirt jisung got him, in those pants that felix got him, hair wet and his laughter ringing through the entire area. 

_i could never see that again._

the ocean's wind used to give felix warmth, but it now just hurts him, like the sharp edge of a knife.


	5. hold my hand, come and lean on me (i will always be your strength)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> felix doesn't know he ends up in changbin's apartment, and why his feelings had returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> summary of chapter 5:  
> felix receives a call from jisung that minho had passed away in a car accident when he's stargazing with changbin in taiwan. he has a breakdown and flies back from taiwan to visit his brother's funeral after a few days.  
> hello ;) this is much more of fluff rather than angst, but it still includes felix crying. the next two chapters will just be pure fluff, and the pairing bae jinyoung/lee daehwi will be the main point of chapter 6! if you read from the start, you should know that what will happen. of course, i will still try my best to focus on felix's and changbin's relationship. they will officially end this story with chapter 7 and a happy ending! after this au, there will be a hyunjin/seungmin work, which continues from 'why can't you hold me in the street? (why can't i kiss you on the dance floor?)'. it will focus more on the family itself, and will have more fluff than angst.  
> enjoy :)

the cold is really hitting felix in the face, so he wraps the jacket around him tighter. in his memories, the ocean had a pretty, light shade of blue, and it glistened when the sun shined willingly on its' surface. right now, it was just a deep shade of blue, a gloomy look embellishing the surface. those two colours pretty much described felix's past and current feelings. all he wanted was for minho to come back, so those deep waters could become the glistening ones they used to be.

"felix."

"what?" 

out of the built up frustration and depression, the steward had shouted at whoever called him. he turns around and spots changbin, dressed in just a black t-shirt and jeans. changbin had told felix that he would come to minho's funeral and pay his respects, even if no one welcomed him at all. he still had a heart, after all, since he had a good friendship with minho when felix and him were still a thing. since they separated, minho barely got any chance to talk to changbin, but there wasn't any hatred that grew anyways. minho had always been a good guy, and would always be. 

"are you alright?" 

"alright? are you seriously asking me that right now? how would you feel if your only family member left this world and that there's no longer anyone to protect you and always be by your side? you obviously never went through this, which is probably why you're being so insensitive!" 

 _a girl on her period._ that's probably what felix sounded like right now. he hung his head low when changbin only looked at him, not a word coming out of his mouth. the tears come back and start rolling down, and his eyes  & nose turning red from both crying and the cold. 

"don't cry. i'm really sorry if i hurt your feelings."

there's a pair of strong arms that wrap around him, and felix feels himself pulled into changbin's embrace. he doesn't push away, but melts into the warmth. right now, warmth and love is all he needs, a lot of it, because he had lost so much of it. the tears still roll down and it's staining changbin's shirt, but the older doesn't do anything but just holds felix in his arms, letting the latter calm down and relax. 

silence fills the whole ocean, and when changbin feels felix's arms wrap around his waist, he knows that the steward had fallen asleep. felix always had this weird habit of hugging someone or something before he fell asleep. when he was still conscious, he would just be curled up, arms resting in front of his chest, then he would wrap his arms around changbin, wherever he wanted, and go to sleep. changbin thinks it's cute, and he honestly doesn't mind.

"you always do this, felix lee." 

.

doyeon and the other stewards and stewardesses had already disappeared from the funeral's location when changbin returned, felix soundly asleep in his arms. jisung was obviously tired, because he had passed out, and his parents were sitting near him, being guards. changbin grabbed the only luggage sitting near a table, and strolled to his car with it. an asleep felix was really hard to wake up. all of the stewards and stewardesses and changbin could attest. the backseat was the only option for felix to sleep comfortable, so changbin laid him down there, praying that the steward wouldn't fall off.

instead of driving back to felix's apartment, changbin decides to bring both of them back to his apartment, but not without notifying felix's friends. a sigh escapes his lips when he sees kyulkyung's contact in his phone.

**seo changbin**

Hey, this is Changbin.  I couldn't see you guys at the funeral, so I take it as you guys have left. He will be staying in my apartment tonight, if you don't mind?

**kyulkyung/jieqiong**

hello!!! 

ofc, y not!! we dont want to affect him so!!! 

as long as u dont do anything bad to him ok??

**seo changbin**

Thanks. And I won't. Do you really see me in such a negative way?

**kyulkyung/jieqiong**

my words didnt mean to imply tht!! ><

sry n thnks agn!!! 

 

changbin starts the engine and throws his phone onto the seat beside him, not bothering to reply to kyulkyung anymore. it would be awkward anyways. changbin doesn't understand why felix didn't leave his luggage at home, even when he went back to shower and change clothes. the thought is dismissed when he parks his car and switches off the engine, carrying an unconscious felix in his arms, and the steward's luggage in his other hand. luckily, he manages to open the door with dropping felix or himself.

there's only one bedroom in his apartment, although it's two-storeys tall and big enough for two more bedrooms. changbin's mother had complained about being unable to stay over because of having only one bedroom, but the ceo didn't bother to get people to build one more. this apartment was his anyways, he could do anything that he wanted. he's lucky that he got a king-sized bed for himself, so that felix could sleep comfortably, instead of squeezing himself into the single-sized bed in the college dorms. 

"child, let go. i can't move if you choose to cling onto me, you know."

_no response._

the ceo had planned to sleep on the floor, so that the younger wouldn't scream into his ear out of shock in the early morning. guess his plan was ruined now. at least he was in clean clothes, a set that he had changed into around an hour ago. the jeans were the problem, due to uncomfortableness and material wrapping around his legs like a koala. 

_guess i have to sleep in these clothes then._

changbin crawls into the empty spot beside felix, and he can feel the younger snuggling to him. there's this wrongness and awkwardness, because after all, they're no longer together. but it's not 100% that changbin is no longer pining after the australian boy. there has been a countless number of girls and boys, ladies and gentlemen, women and men he had met, but no one catches his eye. past feelings are slowly returning and changbin wants to hold the australian boy in his arms and apologise for all those times he had caused injuries, scars and pain to him. 

now isn't the right time, but he will say it once everything has truly returned to normal.

.

changbin swears that he will go deaf one day.

without doubt, felix had woken up, and screamed right into changbin's ear out of shock. of course, with their arms wrapped around each other, felix would have found it weird. he knows even after being ex-boyfriends, they had kissed at the carnival and shared a lot of intimacy. with yesterday's events being a blur, he was of course shocked.

"oh my god, shut up! it's the morning!"

"what am i doing here? why are you here? wait, no, where am i? where are my friends?" 

"chill. let me explain and get away before you scream again. you fell asleep from crying in my arms yesterday and when i went back to the funeral, your friends were already gone and done with visiting. i don't understand why you didn't bring your luggage back home when you went back to change but i took it with me then told kyulkyung i would bring you back to my apartment. they said they didn't to disturb you either, so kyulkyung told me i was allowed."

"so i slept with you on the same bed?"

"chill, i didn't do anything. we have done more than sleeping in the same bed after breaking up." 

"you take that back."

"you shut up if you want breakfast." 

it works, and felix seals his lips immediately. changbin helps him to take clothes from his luggage, then throws him a towel. felix catches it with an unimpressed expression, stating that the clothes in his luggage were all worn before. this makes the ceo go get his clothes.

"i want that white hoodie." 

"you're picky, even in clothes."

"whatever. it looks nice."

felix ends up having changbin's white hoodie and grey sweatpants in his hands, and his unused undergarment from the trip. he was glad he packed more undergarments than clothes. 

"go clean your face. it looks like there's makeup on it."

"i put foundation on if i go out regularly." 

"it's probably why you look like a ghost." 

a snort escapes from felix and he makes his way to the bathroom, leaving changbin to the bathroom away from his bedroom and preparing breakfast for the two of them.

.

when felix makes his way down the stairs, face clean from the makeup, and dressed in changbin's clothes, the older was already almost finished with preparing their breakfast. the steward hops onto one of those high stools placed in front of the marble table, watching the older cook intently.

"what are you cooking?" 

"just some pancakes. i don't have much ingredients left at home. haven't restocked due to work." 

"when will you be finished?"

"just wait a while more, kid." 

changbin looks up at felix for the first time in the morning, and he notices those freckles that lay across felix's cheeks. when they met on the airplane, and even at the carnival, felix had covered up his freckles. it's a real beauty, and they look like stars that are shining on his face. changbin is just mesmerised by it, until felix hits his arm.

"those pancakes are going to get burnt!" 

"sorry." 

"what were you thinking of? you just stood frozen there."

"was just wondering why you keep covering up your freckles. they're nice, don't you think so?"

red stains felix's cheeks, and changbin laughs while he transfers the pancakes onto two plates, grabbing the bottle of maple syrup and drizzling it all over the pancakes. there's a huge, thick piece of butter resting on top of felix's pancakes, and it's because changbin knows what he likes.

"i'm just scared that i would get teased about it. furthermore, my job requires me to wear makeup."

"i thought it was only girls."

"well, we got to look good too."

"hmm." 

"wow, your cooking isn't that bad."

"felix, i have cooked for you before."

"oh, i forgot." 

"are you okay?"

"are you talking about yesterday? i don't know, it's blur to me."

"you shouted, cried then fell asleep." 

felix doesn't say anything but poke at his pancakes, and changbin knows that he's upset, and doesn't want the conversation to continue.

"sorry. by the ways, how are things going between daehwi and jinyoung?"

"they have already planned everything out! our group will be part of it!" 

changbin chuckles at how fast felix returns to his happy state when he mentions the couple, and he starts rambling on about everything they had planned. changbin listens while stuffing the pancakes into his mouth, nodding his head once in a while to show that he was listening to felix.

"i can't wait, you know?" 

"do i get to go?"

"why not? daehwi is super kind! i will ask on your behalf."

"thanks. do you want me to send you back home?" 

"can i stay for a while?"

"whatever you want, child." 

out of his peripheral vision, changbin can see felix plopping down onto his couch and switching on the television as he cleans up. he joins felix after a while, and the steward snuggles to him. he's hurt and requires attention & love, so changbin lets felix lay on his arm, ignoring the stinging pain radiating through his arm. 

_he would do anything for felix lee anyways._

the next few hours consist of felix laughing at the movie, then crying, then he returns to laughing again. changbin watches both the movie and felix quietly, not letting out a single word or laugh out of his mouth. felix doesn't notice and don't bother to question changbin on his silence anyways, so changbin feels safe to stare at the younger. he has to stop being a creep when the movie is finished and felix asks him to drive him back, so he gets into the car reluctantly. changbin wants to ask the australian boy to stay, but he doesn't want to worsen things.

.

it's a pretty long ride, and changbin can see that felix is about to fall asleep when he parks the car, because the younger boy's arms are already starting to curl around his left arm. 

"felix, we're here. go in and sleep. rest well and don't think too much, alright?" 

felix is jolted awake and he nods sleepily at changbin's words, and the latter feels his heart fluttering and him himself melting at the amount of adorableness felix is showing him. he wants to squish the steward's cheeks and kiss him, hold him in his arms and give him love, but he doesn't anyways. changbin helps felix to his doorstep, and somi is already out there, opening the door. she thanks changbin and the ceo only smiles as he drives away.

now, it was time for changbin to ask himself if his feelings were really returning for felix again. 


	6. i can't help it, i've fallen for him (again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's daehwi's and jinyoung's big day, but felix receives something he didn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! sry for the slower updates these days! i have been busy with school and dance, especially when the new students are in for auditions and trials we are getting treated harsher. the weather here in sg has been v cold too, my legs are freezing as i type this HAHAHA, enjoy this chapter anw! will try to finish this whole ff up by sunday so i can start on a new one!

it was really chaos in the room that was located at the second level. brushes and makeup products were spilled everywhere, and felix swears if he squinted his eyes, he could have seen a small puddle of liquid foundation forming below the vanity table. he didn't bother to clean up, although he was supposed to help out with the preparation of the gatecrash and everything else. ten and chenle were over at jinyoung's house, leaving him alone with the girls and daehwi. 

at the vanity table sat daehwi with kyulkyung doing his makeup, and somi was ironing out his suit for the nth time, making sure it was 100% straight. the other stewardess - doyeon, who wasn't doing anything either, joined felix on the bean bag. the steward cursed under his breath silently when he almost fell off the bean bag - doyeon had pushed him and claimed 95% of the bean bag. felix doesn't say anything, but sits on the floor cross-legged and looks at his phone.

"why are you so grumpy for? let's be happy today!"

" _grumpy_ is not the right word, doyeon. minho just passed away merely 2 weeks ago, how do you expect me to be feel all blithe like you?" 

"i know, i'm sorry. my words sound selfish, but daehwi's wedding is today. it's the one and only wedding, and we have been planning on it for so long. i really hope you could cheer up, and of course be happy and put away all your worries, you know?"

"understood." 

felix manages to catch the small sigh that escapes doyeon's lips, so he forces a smile in her direction. it's really obvious that he looks forced, since his eyes aren't crinkling as its' side. doyeon pouts a little but walks away, going over to help daehwi with his hair. felix is left alone, and he decides to text jisung when a message from changbin comes in.

**seo changbin**

Are you alright?

**felix**

yeah, thanks for asking

you're coming right?

**seo changbin**

Of course.

Hopefully they don't kick me out.

 

changbin was only coming thanks to felix's persuasion. daehwi and the other cabin crew he worked with agreed to inviting changbin, but jinyoung - who didn't know about the blossoming relationship between felix and changbin - refused to agree, and daehwi had to explain to jinyoung (felix had to persuade him too) before the australian boy got an invitation for the ceo. of course, jinyoung was relieved after hearing that changbin wasn't like before. he had the urge to invite jisung, but he didn't really know if he wanted to attend. said guy accepted his invitation anyways. 

"felix, let's do your makeup." 

"do i have to?"

a roll of eyes from somi is all it takes for felix to know his answer, so the latter rushes to the seat and let the canadian-korean stewardess do his makeup. there's a ticklish feeling when the brush moves across his cheek, and he squirms a little in his seat. red appears on his cheek when somi laughs at how ticklish felix is, setting down the brush. 

"just stay still for a moment. do you want me to cover up your freckles?" 

a nod was about to be given, but at that exact same time, felix thought of changbin's words around 2 weeks ago, when he was brought back to changbin's house after falling asleep at his brother's funeral hall. 

_was just wondering why you keep covering up your freckles. they're nice, don't you think so?_

he gives somi a shake of his head instead and the latter finds it interesting, but she stills complies to felix's request anyways. she only puts on a thin layer of foundation and conceal his eyebags that came from binge-watching family dramas every night in their apartment, and applies some colour to his lips. at least he won't look so dead this way. the australian boy had barely left the house, but it wasn't exactly a bad thing either. ever since he returned from changbin's apartment, he had been laughing much more and it felt like the energy was going back to its' owner. the depressing aura didn't surround him anymore, but they still felt bits of it that remained around the joyful aura. no one can move on that fast anyways. 

"you got to stop binge-watching those dramas, you know?"

"what do you mean by  _those dramas_ , somi? they are high quality taiwan family dramas, you know!"

"what's next, bro? asking chenle to teach you chinese? speaking in chinese? learning taiwan dialects?" 

"shut up! i just really like those dramas! they are pretty much dramatic like you." 

a laugh emits from daehwi and if it wasn't his big day, somi would have went over to smack his head with a hand mirror. kyulkyung had spent loads of time on perfecting the boy's makeup, and doyeon had styled his hair, so somi wasn't going to ruin their work. she sweared that she would do it next time, when daehwi wasn't having his big day or sporting the makeup she wanted to have on her as well.

"you resemble a girl, daehwi. a tiny bit."

"i used my makeup products, so of course."

they laugh and somi throws felix his suit, pushing him into another room, while they have their girls' talk and gossip about whoever they want. daehwi may be a guy, but his sassy attitude could rival any girl's attitude and throw them off the cliff. the australian steward strips off his beige sweater and skinny jeans, squeezing himself into the tight suit. it was white, unlike daehwi's one, which was black. only the couple wore black suits, although jinyoung's mother wished for them to wear white & black. jinyoung gave his mother a stupid explanation, saying the other people who wore white were angels that came to give their blessings. it was stupid enough, but his mother conceded to his idea anyways. 

felix goes back in after a while and the girls are still chatting with daehwi, so he invites himself onto the comfortable couch, sinking into it. his phone beeps at that time.

**seo changbin**

Chenle just texted me, asking where I am.

How do I reply it? It's so awkward.

**felix**

just say you're preparing, the gatecrash isn't starting until 2 hours anyways

**seo changbin**

Okay then, thanks. 

See you later.

**felix**

yea, see you later

 

"texting your boyfriend?"

"what? i'm not, kyulkyung!"

"oh, we all know the correct answer."

"daehwi, how could you take their side?"

the purple-haired guy shrugs, laughing as he leans back into huge bear jinyoung had gotten him for their 5th monthsary. it was almost the height of doyeon, who was at least 1.72m. it may seem short for a guy, but it was definitely tall for a girl. a little bit unusual, but at least doyeon switches out those lightbulbs back in their apartment. 

"whatever. daehwi, since you will be married to jinyoung, will you still stay with us?"

"of course! i would be away for my honeymoon, but the two of us still have work afterwards. jinyoung still has to travel aboard for meetings and work, and i don't want to be alone. the accompany you guys have given to me is something i can't let go, you know?"

somi envelops daehwi into a huge hug, and the rest join in. felix gets his lazy ass off the couch and joins them, hands only being to reach daehwi's shoulder and kyulkyung's back. it's a little squeezy so they let go after a while, laughing loudly like maniacs. the canadian-korean stewardess checks her phone, and tells them it's less than 2 hours away to the gatecrash. daehwi's friends - nancy and yeonwoo - should be here by now. they were the friends daehwi met on a flight to spain, but didn't get introduced to the others. 

at the same second, a knock came from the front door and kyulkyung rushes down to open it, welcoming whoever was outside. as expected, it was nancy and yeonwoo. they looked really pretty, but of course, felix thought his friends were as pretty. all of them looked like they could be models at some agency. daehwi stood up and introduced the two girls to them, and they exchanged greetings. the australian steward is relieved why they don't ask him why he's here. 

somi and doyeon goes to help them do their makeup and brings them their dresses, while the three of them look through the games. they have specially designed their own and buy the items needed, just to make it as fun as possible. of course, they promised themselves not to make the guys tenuous. they had set up hidden cameras at the front, and also a matching wireless monitor at the backyard, so that the priest and daehwi could watch everything. yeonwoo would be guarding the entrance to the backyard to make sure no one went into the backyard, and the rest of them would be in charge of the gatecrash.

everything is in place, so they sit at the doorstep, letting the wind blow onto their face. anyone who walked past would be amused why two guys and a girl in their suits and dress were sitting on the doorstep, looking like sad abandoned fiancés and fiancée. 

"those ropes look really tricky though. do you think they would be able to even pass the first game?"

"don't worry, daehwi. they will."

the 'doorstep trio' talk for about an hour before they are notified that the other guys are arriving soon, so felix and kyulkyung usher daehwi to the backyard, slamming the door loudly in process. the 4 other girls come down from the room, all dressed. there's a _small glass flipping thing_  - as felix would call it - on the door, and they would use that to communicate with the guys outside. 

yeonwoo watches with daehwi from the monitor for the time-being, since the guys didn't even pass any games yet. a knock comes after a while, and kyulkyung speaks through the flap. 

_ah, so it's called a flap._

"who are you looking for?"

"i'm looking for bae daehwi!"

felix watches kyulkyung's eyes widen and whisper to them that the guys were obviously prepared. they had planned for jinyoung to answer  _lee daehwi_ instead of  _bae daehwi_ , then tell him it's wrong and not let him in. but jinyoung was smart enough to know that daehwi would become his husband, and that his surname would change as well. there's a hint of reluctance in kyulkyung's actions, but she opens the door up anyways. they're greeted with sight of jinyoung in his suit, looking all charming and dashing. ten and chenle are behind him, and there are a few more unfamiliar faces. felix guesses it's jinyoung's friends he had invited.

"alright, good job! you will be facing 3 challenges next. the first one is if to see you're strong and trustworthy enough. you should thank us for combining 2 challenges together! all of you will have to form a pyramid, with jinyoung at the very top. he will have to recite his promises that he made to daehwi. if you all fail, you will suffer a penalty."

the steward peeks over kyulkyung's shoulder to take a look at the words she scribbled across the pages. he can only make out a few words - mainly because of kyulkyung's scribbling and his poor language ability. he watches as the guys follow kyulkyung's instructions, and is surprised that jinyoung even recites the promises he made perfectly. they hadn't been expecting their performance to be so good, but obviously, the guys were about beat to the games.

next challenge - are you brave enough? the guys would have to take random shot glasses, without acknowledging the content inside. they would have to take it down in a gulp and make sure they swallow it, to complete the challenge. nancy had suggested to fill all the glasses with orange juice, except for jinyoung's one, which was salted milk. felix honestly doesn't know how nancy had stirred up that idea and concoction, but there's no protest that comes out of his mouth. 

laughter emits from the girls when they see the disgusted expression on jinyoung's face as he swallows down the not-very-delectable liquid, letting the flavour be in control of his expression. they clap and encourage the boys to go on to the last stage, which was pretty much disgusting. it was actually under the same category as  _are you brave enough?_ , and they wanted to add one more but they decided not to. the challenge was to wax one part of someone's leg, and one of jinyoung's friends that felix couldn't recognise volunteered. he swears the screams were loud enough that the people streets away could hear the poor guy screaming. he volunteered anyways, so he deserves it. 

"that's really quick! you have passed all the stages! you can now go meet your fiancé." 

but of course, there was a surprise. as mentioned, yeonwoo was acting as daehwi's guard. there were ropes tied in front of yeonwoo, and jinyoung had to single-handedly untie all of those knots before he could see daehwi. the guys watched as the groom solved those complications easily, dropping the red ropes onto the ground once he was done. they all laughed at his smug expression. yeonwoo clapped slowly in a dramatic manner, before opening the door and leading jinyoung to the backyard.

daehwi was seated on the swing that he got last time, fidgeting at his blazer. yeonwoo could see how jinyoung's lips curled up into a big smile. he walks over to daehwi, and the latter looks up immediately, flashing him a smile that was equally bright. in silence, yeonwoo closed the door and watched through the windows with the others. 

"you look really beautiful."

"you too, baby." 

felix laughs as he watches the couple giggle, holding each other warmly. they exchange a few words and hear something about daehwi complaining about how fast jinyoung finished those challenges. the taller guy only kisses the purple-haired one on the forehead in response, sharing even more giggles. felix's heart flutters with nothing but warmth, and all those sad feelings are put aside. 

.

normally, people held their gatecrash then their wedding, on a different day. daehwi & jinyoung decided to hold it on the same day, since jinyoung's parents got married that way as well. felix sat in the third row, beside changbin, who was dressed in a plain white dress shirt and black slacks. the guests were invited to come after they had finished their gatecrash. their wedding felt similar to jinyoung's parents' one. the couple's parents were sitting in the front line, along with their family. the other cabin crew and people had filled up the second row, o felix was only left with the third row. he opted to sit beside changbin, since he was comfortable with the ceo.

there's this proud feeling as he watches jinyoung and daehwi exchange vows and witness the sight of their rings slip onto each other's fingers. now they had two gleaming rings on their fingers. he wishes he could have them too. felix doesn't even notice until changbin taps his shoulder and tells him it's time to eat. 

"oh, okay. sorry."

"can we talk anyways? in private. there's no one here."

"sure. what do you wanna talk about?"

"felix. i know that i have hurt you before and you probably hate me. over these few weeks we have spent together, i really felt like i was wrong. i had no intentions to treat you that way. embarrassing to say, but i must admit that i have fell for you again. was just wondering if we could be together again."

_didn't expect this._

he's stunned, so changbin says he will give him time to think. 

"i will tell you tomorrow." 

the older nods and they go inside, chatting to not let awkwardness take over. felix gets called over by daehwi anyways. 

he's distracted by changbin's words the whole time.

 


	7. you will always be in my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's a yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! oh my god, this is the end of 'fly me back (into your embrace)'! this is the ending chapter, where changbin and felix ends it. i will start 2 chaptered fics soon, one under a series and another one a sequel! thr wld be slow updates, as im away fr camp from 16/1 to 19/1! thank u v much for everyone who have supported this fic! :) i love u all! (this is rly short, im sry!)  
> do enjoy :)

felix ends up in the room in the second level, with his friends crowding around him. daehwi had talked to him for a while regarding the clearing of the games then went off to speak to the guests with his husband, leaving the australian steward alone with the other cabin crew. instead of going out there to socialise, their group preferred to hide in daehwi's room and play card games, avoiding the rest of the world. they always played card games or board games in daehwi's room in the middle of night while discussing about anything they felt like discussing. 

"uno!"

"oh, fuck you, doyeon!"

"no, fuck you, you petty thai boy!"

"it's called a sore loser. right, felix?"

"felix?"

"huh? oh, yeah."

"why are you so distracted?"

a wave of guiltiness washes over him when he sees the worry wavering in chenle's eyes, and he shakes his head. the truth is that it's changbin's words that distracts him, keeps making his focus run away from the game. the others exchange words quietly and they now all have that worry wavering in their eyes, and even more guilt surges through felix. 

"i.. changbin just told me his feelings returned back for me just now. when everyone went back in for the food, he stopped me and asked if we could talk. in the end, that's what he told me and he hoped that i would consider him once more."

the worry wavers in their eyes then crystallise into surprise, and felix is genuinely scared that somi's eyes would literally popped out if she widened her eyes any further. her eyes return to normal and a sigh of relief escapes his lips. it's a weird thing to worry about, but everything and anything can happen. 

"so, are you going to say yes or no to him?"

"i don't know. i mean, for the past few weeks, since i met him, we have gotten much more closer than the start. i had expected awkwardness and bashfulness to be part of this whole journey with him, but it felt like we were a couple. it just felt like we were living in the past again, where we were that couple everyone was envious of. without the break-up part, of course. god would call me a liar if i said my feelings didn't return for me. but i just don't know if i can trust him again, after living in that sorrow due to his stupid break-up reason. i love my cats too, you know?"

silence fills the air for a while, and felix just shuffles the uno cards in his hands while letting his friends assimilate his feelings and figure out a response. kyulkyung is the first one to speak up, her words all wise and full of advice.

"felix, i really think you should accept him. breaking up with you because you spent more time with your cats sure was a stupid reason, and putting you through the sorrow was also a stupid move, but he has been treating you in the way he should, and even managed to bring your feelings back for him. most people wouldn't even go through the process of talking to their ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend. but at least he even asked you out and made you happy. if i were you, i would definitely take him back. but it's your own love life, you know? we will respect your decision."

the others nod their head in affirmation, and the australian boy's lips curl up into a smile.

_he has already made his decision._

.

**seo changbin**

 

Hey. I know it's around 8 in the morning, but are you up?

**felix**

yea, i'm up

**seo changbin**

Do you have any time to spare?

**felix**

ofc, but what for?

**seo changbin**

I just wanted to bring you to this really nice café. Are you up for it?

**felix**

definitely

**seo changbin**

I'll pick you up at your doorstep in 30 minutes, is that okay?

**felix**

ofc, see you :)

 

felix throws his phone and rushes to the bathroom to take a shower. he screeches when the cold water droplets hit him hard on the back, and turns the knob so the temperature would increase. there isn't time for a long, enjoyable shower, so felix finishes showering in record time. there's a bottle of perfume sitting on his bedside table that daehwi gifted him a while ago, taking in the pleasant scent of the perfume. he grabs a random sweater and a pair of jeans that he squeezes into, screeching again. 

_10 minutes left._

his hair is still a mess, and he hasn't even applied his basic makeup. footwear was never a problem for him, because he always had it ready. the boy rummaged through his drawer for his bottle of foundation and concealer before he remembers changbin's words again.

_was just wondering why you keep covering up your freckles. they're nice, don't you think so?_

_fuck the makeup._

felix just slips into his socks and his shoes, grabbing his wallet and phone along with his keys. he can hear changbin calling for him once he opens the door, and his lips curl up into a smile when he sees the man whom his feelings returned for. 

"hey."

"hey."

"let's go."

"y-yeah."

the ceo didn't drive today, and honestly, felix was 100% grateful. he didn't wished for changbin to drive, since the weather was so likeable and it would be good if they walked instead. the distance of the café from the apartment didn't bother him, as long as the weather cooperated with him. changbin holds his hands and entwines their fingers, deepening the red on felix's cheeks. 

it's the little conversations that make the awkwardness disappear, and it's mostly initiated by changbin. felix has only gave simple responses so far, careful of his words, in case he can't control his feelings. he wants to ask why changbin is so calm and composed even when he has feelings for him, and why he himself is so fidgety and nervous in the same situation. 

"ey, here we are."

the café is familiar to felix, and he knows that there a lot of memories that come from it. its' berkeley coffee social, a quaint indie café. they have been here many times for their dates during college, and even came here as high school students. the appearance of the café hasn't changed, and felix feels warmth surge through him when changbin smiles at him. 

"i didn't expect you to choose this café."

"we had a lot of memories here, so i chose it. come on, let's go in."

the older leads the steward in, and the warmth and memories hit the latter hard once he takes a step in. images of him, changbin and their own group of friends huddled together in a corner of the café, plastic bottles in their hands, eyes focused on the video game that one of them were playing; images of two of them sipping on their cups, laughing over funny things that happened. felix's lips unconsciously curl up into a smile, and he sees the other guy laugh too before bringing him to a table.

"the usual?"

"yeah."

changbin nods and felix smiles, letting his elbows rest on the table. he watches changbin go to the counter to place their order, and realises the decorations are all the same. they haven't changed since he last came here, and there's this nostalgia feeling within all the warmth. he whips out his phone to take a picture, and saves it into a special gallery he kept in his phone. the ceo comes back soon enough, with a tray full of food and drinks in his arms.

"oh wow, you got food too?"

"i knew you would be hungry, so i got your favourite. the menu hasn't really changed tho, it's just new food that was added in." 

the steward smiles and takes in the strong aroma of the coffee and holds it in his hands, taking a sip. it's the same strong flavour he adores and loves, the same flavour he has tasted for a long time. a laugh emits from changbin and his cheeks redden, but the former tells him to eat. changbin had gotten all of his favourite food from the café, and his cheeks redden even more. the steward opts to eat in silence, nodding every few minutes to changbin's words. they had long finished their food, and were walking on the streets, passing by all those shops they have went in before.

"so, about yesterday, can i hear about your decision?"

felix looks down, and he knows that his ears are reddening. he's trying to gather up all the courage to answer changbin, even if it's just three words. it's has only been a few seconds, but to felix, it felt like a whole 30 minutes had passed by since changbin had asked for his answer.

"it's a yes." 

he manages to answer, ignoring the fact that his cheeks and ears are impossibly red. they turn even redder when changbin's lips curl into a smile. the next moment, he feels himself being lifted up into the air, and acknowledges the fact that his now boyfriend seo changbin had carried him up and spun in the air upon hearing his words. once he's put down, felix leans in and presses his lips onto changbin's, putting aside all his shyness. the older responds immediately, and felix smiles into the kiss. it's nothing passionate, just something that's short and sweet. they break after a while, and felix can see how bright the smile on changbin's face is.

"i love you. thank you so much for giving me another chance, baby."

"i love you too, baby."

.

three months ago, it was felix watching jinyoung and daehwi slip their wedding rings onto each other's fingers.

now, three months later, it was felix's and changbin's turn to do the same thing.


End file.
